Gratitude is Lattitude

With it being the month of Thanksgiving, I found it to be fitting to A. rip off your friends ideas, and B. try to properly express those things that I am the most grateful for.  My goal here is to use a post a day to express my gratitude.  There will never be enough days in November, or enough Novembers to properly express my immense gratitude, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway.

I was supposed to start this yesterday, so I will use this post to make up for yesterday as well.

*1.  I am so very grateful for the tremendous opportunity that I was given of being a Mother.  All I ever wanted in the world was to be a wife and a mother.  I can't tell you how often I have had to pinch myself.  My two biggest dreams came true.  Now, I'm not saying that it's been a cake walk, my kids will attest to that, but it's been wonderful.  The good, the bad, and the ugliness of motherhood is beyond description.

  Just tonight, I put the kids to bed, and within minutes I hear the familiar gagging sound that I have come to associate with my beautiful daughter.  The kid has a bowl next to her be at all times, because she believes that whenever you cough, you must also empty your entire stomach contents.  Well problem is, the bowl is of no use, because she insists on getting out of bed and trailing throw up from her bed to the bathroom.  UGHHH!  This little incident may be classified as an ugly, but as I was cleaning up the mess, I realized how I wouldn't trade this job for the world.  When a tiny voice says, "I'm sorry mom, I sure love ya."  Man, it makes everything worth it.

This is the scene that I usually find when I check on the kiddos.

*2.  Marriage
Through the years I have met so many people.  I have always been impressed by individual strengths, and inane talents and abilities.  For so many years I thought that I was totally skipped in the whole "talent" category.  It took many years to figure out those things that I am really good at.  The reason it took me so long was because my particular gifts are not the usual run of the mill "talent show" talents.  One of these talents is that of wife.

I know, I know, how is that a talent?  Well I will tell you how.  I L-O-V-E-D being married.  I  lived to serve my husband.  I loved to see him smile.  I loved to hear about his day.  I loved that he called me on his way home from work and we would talk until he got home, knowing that he would be swarmed with kids as soon as he walked in the door.  I loved being able to cook for him, and hear him brag to all his friends and co-workers about how spoiled he was.  I loved that he was always there for me, and I loved to be there for him.

Marriage is the ultimate team sport, and boy were we competitive.  We could have given pretty much everyone a run for their money.  Now you may be saying to yourself, Hey I'm the same way.  Well my friend, then you too have this gift.  Hold it dear.  Cultivate it.  Work on it always.  It is truly a blessing to be able to have someone in your corner at all times, whether that someone is here or gone.